I am on vacation in the UK and this is the first chance that I have had to write on the blog since the tree fell. On May 29th I was speaking at a nursing school when I received word that a tree had fallen on top of my house. It was a strange wind storm and muddling through the media, and insurance adjusters, neighbors and local tree companies and the stress of it all . I definitely did see God’s hand , holding me through it all. I know that in all things , God works things together for the good.

If my people shall humble themselves , turn from their wicked ways and pray, then I will hear from heaven , I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.(Paraphrased) Father, today I cry out that you forgive us as a nation for thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; for pretending that we are God and changing your statutes, your morals, your guidelines for man and more than anything for sinning against out own bodies in so many ways. We have not seen the destruction of our own kind at our own hand. Forgive us , oh Lord for not putting you first before the desires of men! Forgive us for discounting the value of human life and worrying about so much other nonsense. Help us ,Lord to change, to turn from our wicked ways. Please heal our land! Let your kingdom come and your will be done in this nation!

It has been said since ancient times that man, left to his own directives, will surely self destruct. We are today killing our own kind and importing others who may populate our masses. No matter what tolerant, politically correct way that men say why they destroy themselves- we can not hide this violence that we are choosing to commit . Men need a savior, men educated or fools can not rely on their own strength, intellect or instincts. The only savior is a risen savior, Jesus Christ. He took on all of our infirmities our problems, He was a sinless man who sacrificed Himself so that we could be saved , left to ourselves, we will self destruct. Forgive us as a nation, Jesus- for what we are doing to our unborn children.

There are no words spoken in a moment of a violent act that will ever make someone, (not even the perpetrator of the violence), be able to communicate the rage in a depth that will make that violent act worthwhile. After all is over with-has your attitude been changed about the abuser? Does it make someone say, “Now I get what he/she is saying here?” No, the pain and trauma from witnessing the event causes us to want to run from the abuser, does not encourage us to say, I want to draw closer to this person who is upset, I want to feel bad because they feel bad. On the contrary; people feel bad , but not for any reason that would help to make sense to anyone perpetrating a violent situation-or anyone else for that matter. Instead people say, “that person is crazy-get me away from him/her!” Many people have been left with questions, “what on earth was that person thinking?-what did they want to gain from this act of terror?-how can I ever trust that something like this will never happen again?”
Women and children in an abusive home, may have a gun pointed at them at any random time. It is like living in a war zone only , at least at war, there is a country to defend. When the violence is empty of a cause, it becomes so, senseless.
My heart goes out to all those families in the Mohawk, Herkimer and entire Mohawk Valley region of New York, I am praying for peace and comfort for those families of the shooting victims, four dead, two still recovering in the hospital. The shooter gunned down in the old Glory Days building, Herkimer, New York. What made no sense when it began on that tragic day; continued to make no sense to a valley of people in shock and traumatized by this senseless act of violence.
I continue to pray for the victims who are recovering in the hospital, God has given them a second chance. To my home town, valley community, I share painfully with your loss.

The last post of my personal story is up on Rachel Grant Coaching-she is a Trauma Recovery counselor from San Francisco area, if you haven’t already please check out Part 1 and Part 2 links that have also been posted on the blog.
http://rachelgrantcoaching.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-beyond-survivors-story-girl-without 15.html

Thanks Rachel for hosting me on your blogspot!